Guardianship

Estate planning law firm in Berwyn, Wyomissing, Scranton, Wilmington and Washington, D.C. area

Guardianship is a legal relationship between a caretaker and ward. The guardian is charged with managing the affairs of the ward, which can include medical, financial or both, depending on the level of control necessary for the person’s well-being and benefit.

McAndrews Law Offices, P.C. was founded in 1983 to provide comprehensive, effective legal representation to the families of individuals with disabilities and to parents arranging their estate plans that involve their minor children.

Arranging for guardianship through your last will

Minor children typically need substantial guidance about many matters. We draft a last will that names people you trust to give your children the best care possible if you should pass while they are still too young to care for themselves.

Guardianship of an adult with disabilities

The family of a disabled individual often faces difficult decisions regarding the appropriateness of guardianship when the disabled child reaches the age of majority. You want your child to develop independence, but you may have reservations about his or her ability to make sound medical and financial judgments. We help you determine the level and nature of assistance necessary and whether to seek guardianship. If guardianship is needed, we guide you through the court process in a prompt and cost-efficient manner.

Power of attorney

Another option for an adult with disabilities is to grant power of attorney (POA) to a trusted authorized agent. The POA allows for more flexibility than guardianship status and often presents a helpful option when your child becomes an adult. In order to execute a power of attorney, the maker must have the capacity to understand that he is appointing an agent to make decisions on his behalf.

Our fee structure

McAndrews Law Offices, P.C. informs you about your fees up front so you always know what to expect. We charge reasonable fees to establish and administer guardianship in the courts. Our base fee for an uncontested Guardianship proceedings for Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia and Maryland is $2,950.00 (New Jersey is $3,500.00), and we ask that payment of this fee be submitted before we begin work. This fee anticipates up to 8 hours of work, which is sufficient to complete a typical guardianship. If the case exceeds that, we would bill hourly. We bill hourly if another party contests the guardianship and in most cases involving mental health diagnoses. Court costs typically do not exceed $300.00 and are not included in our base fee.

Our fee for a power of attorney is $150.00 and an hourly rate is charged for a meeting to evaluate whether a person has the capacity to execute a Power of Attorney.

Consult PA, DE, MD, and Washington, D.C. area guardian attorneys at McAndrews Law Offices, P.C. at 610.648.9300 or contact us online to schedule an appointment.

Our Estate Planning Department’s Mission

McAndrews Law Offices is committed to providing highly skilled and individualized estate planning, special needs planning, and elder law advice to guide our clients through the different stages of life. We represent individuals of all asset levels, and our goal is to give our clients peace of mind by crafting flexible, efficient, and cost-effective plans that address personal challenges, whether minimizing taxes, transferring wealth, preserving assets before entering a nursing home, or planning for the future of a child with special needs. We are on the cutting edge of constantly evolving policies and laws, and we take pride in providing prompt, responsive, and respectful service.

Our specialized areas of concentration include:

Estate Planning – Designing comprehensive estate plans for individuals of all asset levels, which may include sophisticated estate planning techniques to minimize death taxes, trusts to protect minors, or planning techniques to assist blended families or and methods to ease the probate process.

Special Needs Planning – Assisting in all stages of public benefit and special needs planning, including qualifying persons for essential public benefits, creating an estate plan to protect a loved one’s public benefits, and collaboratively determining whether a guardianship or less restrictive option may be appropriate.

Elder Law – Designing a creative and personal plan using the most up-to-date techniques to preserve wealth for future generations while protecting the elder’s dignity and well-being.

Estate Administration – Facilitating and streamlining the probate process and employing legal strategies to reduce death taxes to the maximum extent.

Attorney Advertising. This website is designed for general information only. The information presented at this site should not be construed to be formal legal advice nor the formation of a lawyer/client relationship.